Newsletter

By the time they read this, most members will be aware of the
introduction of the BGA Newsletter. The idea of a cheaply and quickly
produced broadsheet is not a new one, and when in early January I
offered to edit such a broadsheet for the BGA the committee accepted my
offer with what I regarded as commendable alacrity.

For various reasons it has never been practical to publish the BGJ
within a short enough time of the copy date for the news it contains to
be anything like up to date. For a time a recorded telephone news
service was made available, but so few members chose to use it that it
was discontinued. This Newsletter is a new attempt to improve BGA
communications.

The Newsletter will contain no technical material. This will remain
the province of the BGJ, as will detailed reports of congresses and
other activities, Its function will be to publish, in descending order
of priority:

1) Details of forthcoming events.

2) Brief reports of recent events.

3) BGA contact addresses.

4) Editorial material and letters to the editor.

Copy dates will be Saturdays near to the ends of odd numbered months
and will be published well in advance. The intention is that members
should receive the Newsletter within a week of the copy date, and for
this reason it will be strictly adhered to. Information may be posted or
telephoned, but I do not promise to be at home near the copy date to
receive 'phone calls.

The Newsletter offers the following services to clubs inviting
entries for tournaments:

1) Brief details will be included in every issue of the Newsletter
from my first receiving the information until the date of the event.

2) Your entry form can be sent out in the same envelope as any
issue of the Newsletter.

3) Your entry form can be part of the Newsletter.

Service 1) is free of charge to BGA affiliated clubs, and so is 2)
provided that extra postal charges are not incurred, For 3) there is a
charge of £5 for a quarter-page tear-off entry form printed on both
sides.

Brief non-commercial advertisements will be published free of
charge.

As I write the committee has yet to finalise its policy on how many
copies are to be sent each club, and towards sending copies to
unattached members*. As you might imagine, the determining
factor is postal charges. The production costs are quite low (£12
for 500 copies).

Another matter under review is how the existence of the Newsletter
should affect the frequency of the BGJ. If you have an opinion on these
matters please dont keep it to yourself.